Who says travel bloggers aren’t journalists? Okay, lots of people, but that doesn’t stop a few of them (us) from putting boots on the ground and getting some real reporting done, outside of listing out our top 10 favorite places to drink around the world, or how you can get paid to travel the world (Answers: #1 Matt Torrey’s in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn; and land a lucrative job as a travel show host, respectively).

In an effort to get some insight as to what travel is like right now in Egypt, and whether it is in fact safe given the recent political turmoil and much-publicized detaining of three Americans (one of whom is Transportion Secretary Ray LaHood’s son) who were working in Egypt for a U.S.-funded pro-democracy group, friend of The Expeditioner DowntownTraveler.com enlisted the help of local Italian Giulia Cimarosti to give us the skinny.

In response to the question of whether the tumult in Tahrir Square is indicitive of the rest of the country, Giulia pointed out that “[e]veryone must know that whatever happens in Tahrir Square, the rest of Cairo and — most of all — the rest of Egypt is perfectly safe. This doesn’t mean that the protests are not important, but tourism-wise there are no complications at all.”

Good to know, but what about deals — has the bad publicity and decrease in visitors translated into travel bargains for the cheap traveler and are all the sites still open? “Nothing has changed regarding visiting ruins, museums etc . . . The ticket fares are probably still the same (they’ve always been cheap anyway!), but I saw great deals on organized trips with tour operators. The touristic sites operate normal hours and are less crowded now . . . I would definitely take advantage of that.”

Anecdotally, I recently spoke with my colleague/Jenga opponent Aaron of AaronsWWAdventures.com who recently returned from his own six-week jaunt through the Middle East, including a stay in Egypt. Despite the presence of a few groups of lingering protesters in Tahrir Square, and the noticeably aggressive (even by Egyptian standards) hawkers at the major sites as a result of the drop in tourists, life and the sites seem to be back to as normal as they’ve ever been. Deals were aplenty he noted, as all of the guides and others whose livelihoods are dependent on foreign visitors have been forced to slash prices to compete with the few visitors at the near-empty sites.

So in a nutshell: Ogling tourists are at a minimum, prices have never been cheaper (and this is in what is otherwise a very cheap country for visitors) and safety is about as much as a concern as any other time. What are you waiting for? Now seems to be as good as time as ever.

[Is it safe to visit Egypt after the revolution?/DowntownTravler]

The post Yes Virginia, It’s Safe To Visit Egypt (And Cheap Too) appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

In April of this year, I encouraged you to travel to Egypt with Megan Fox. You did not listen to me, and now Egypt’s tourism is on pace to finish 25% down this year, accounting for around a $3 Billion loss of Egypt’s $15 Billion tourist economy. Egypt hasn’t looked this bad since The Mummy Returns.

If you are reading this and have not traveled to Egypt this year, then this is your fault. But it is also my fault (and especially Jon Wick’s fault). Despite contemplating a trip to Egypt, it never panned out for me and this has crippled tourism, one of the country’s major sources of revenue.

Instead of there being a new threat to tourists traveling to Egypt, a perceived threat has caused many to change their travel plans. Due to the press’s focus of the Arab Spring, plenty are wary of instability in Egypt. But if the thought of visiting Washtington, D.C. doesn’t frighten you, then don’t sweat going to Egypt, where the murder rate is 1,000 times less. Washington, D.C. is to Saving Private Ryan what The Care Bear’s Movie is to Cairo.

Egypt, with its enormously long historical scroll, is currently drafting one of the most important chapters of its history. It’s an important time for Egypt as a country and that makes for an even more memorable visit there.

As reported in the NYT, many tourism operators are catering to wary travelers by encouraging them to bypass Cairo to see the often overlooked destination of Alexandria. One big draw there is the The New Library of Alexandria, which — since being opened in 2002 — has not yet been burned down by the Romans. The New Library boasts an Espresso Book Machine, which can “magically” reproduce almost any book in an instant (in much the same way Jean-Luc Picard used the replicator to make his books aboard The USS Enterprise).

Alexandria is also well placed on the warm waters of the Mediterranean and has a happening night life with bars, pubs, dancing and frequent performances. By day the city offers museums and teahouses where you can take off a load and smoke the sheesha you did not in college when your hookah was loaded with something else.

And as is often the case when the supply of a demand dwindles, the supply wins. Right now, travelers are in short supply in Egypt, making the Land of the Pharaohs the land of discounts that begs the intrepid travler to take advantage of.

By Luke Armstrong

About the Author

Luke Maguire Armstrong lives in Guatemala directing the humanitarian aid organization, Nuestros Ahijados. He wants to fight a bear. His book of poetry, iPoems for the Dolphins to Click Home About (available for sale on Amazon.com) is especially enjoyed by people who “don’t read poetry.” (@lukespartacus) 

The post I Urge You (Again!) To Go To Egypt appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

The essence of a city is what makes people fall in love with it. Sure, there are many things to do in an urban center much like there are many things to do everywhere, but it will steal our heart when we get to know the people in it, the blood that pumps through its heart and keeps the body moving.

This is not my first time writing this: cities have always captured my fascination because of their energy. One of my favorite moments when flying into an international airport — usually situated on the outskirts of the city core — is seeing the highways flowing with glossy cars carrying people to-and-fro the core. Sometimes, you can see the bottleneck effect of where traffic was clogged from construction or an accident. From up there, you can see how the buildings go from low-laying sprawl to high-rise reminders standing at the heart.

I always dreamed of going to Cairo. The allure was partly the history, partly the proximity to the desert and partly the culture. It was its warmth and glow that pulled my attention.

With the not-so recent events, a different Cairo is surfacing into view for all to see. As this recent article on CNN highlights, our view of contemporary Cairo has evolved. It is not just about the pyramids and the sand, but about the people and their lifestyle.

I asked a friend — Angela, who runs a B&B here in Buenos Aires — about Cairo. She lived in the city for a few years, got to know the people, learned the language and observed how they lived. By being there, she got to get a feel of the essence of the place:

I agree with every single bit of what the article said. I always loved how Egyptians hang out on the bridges over the Nile on warm summer nights. The breeze off of the water and because there are no buildings blocking it makes the bridges the coolest part of town.

There are all sorts of vendors selling everything you can imagine. Wedding parties head out to the corniche (the streets along the Nile) to have pictures taken, hang out among the beautiful buildings, get some relief from the heat and be social. On the boats, there are parties happening with loud music and dancing. It’s a blast. The Nile is the center of everything there.

When I asked her about the “slum” housing, she observed:

The low-income housing in Cairo is really interesting. They call the houses “generation houses” because each new generation builds an apartment of sorts on top of the already existing structure. So when a son marries, he and his wife move in above his parents and the houses just keep getting taller. You can tell how many generations live in the house by the number of floors. The problem is that there are no building codes and these houses sometimes collapse.

Still, despite its housing flaws, Angela still feels like it was the “safest place” she has ever lived. She continued to tell me that. “The pollution and noise in the city can become draining after a while. But that’s also the beauty in a strange way. It’s a magical place.”

Perhaps for traveling, when we do instant snapshots, we only get a glimpse of the surface. That’s O.K. too, because we need those moments. When watching a movie, nothing is more hilarious than getting the chance to say, “Oh wow, I was there!” But, when getting to know a peoples, sometimes you need to discover its problems, look at its faults and appreciate the people who have lived through it all. Perhaps this is how you fall in love with a city.

And sometimes, you just know.

By Brit Weaver

About the Author

Toronto born and based, Brit is an avid leisure cyclist, coffee drinker and under-a-tree park-ist. She often finds herself meandering foreign cities looking for street eats to nibble, trees to climb, a patch of grass to sit on, or a small bookstore to sift through. You can find her musing life on her personal blog, TheBubblesAreDead.wordpress.com.

The post How You Fall In Love With A City: Inside Egypt appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

Egyptian cuisine is produced from the melting pot of the Middle East, North Africa and the Mediterranean. It is varied and fascinating, but if you only have one day in Cairo, you can cover the basics. Here’s how.

By Robin Graham

Breakfast

Felfela has been a fixture on the travel circuit in Cairo for not just years, but generations. A haven for those perhaps intimidated by the less polished eateries of the city, but still offering something of an Egyptian flavor, it has been a firm favorite for many. There are those who will tell you it’s past its prime and who knows, they may have a point, but its takeaway branch aimed at the locals, around the corner on Talaat Harb Street, is very definitely going strong.

I like to go for breakfast, sometimes tucking into it there and then, standing along the walls where pedestals have been placed for the purpose, otherwise returning with it to the hotel if I am staying nearby. As long as the doors are open, this place is busy.

Fuul is what I’m here for. Served in grainy Egyptian pita bread, fuul consists of cooked and mashed fava beans, often served cold. It is the quintessential Egyptian breakfast, more earthy and hearty than hummus, a better comparison being refried beans, but with a unique and not unpleasant bitterness. My friend “K” hates it instantly. I can’t get enough. Instead she has ta’amiya, the local equivalent of felafel, but greener, more moist and, well, better.

Lunch

Koshary is all wrong.

Served as fast food and pretty much Egypt’s national dish, it consists, bizarrely, of rice, macaroni and lentils. That’s right, you heard me. You wouldn’t credit it, would you? The sprinkling of a few fried onion flakes over the top with some chickpeas thrown in seems like a desultory effort at injecting a bit of flavor into this carb-fest; a little tomato sauce served on the side unlikely to elevate the whole stodgy mess to the status of decent meal. Insulting, almost.

Until, that is, you take a mouthful. At which point what looked so wrong tastes . . . oh so right. There is alchemy at work here. It might be the Cairo air, thick with pollution, or perhaps the fluid, expert motion of the koshary men as they flick their metal bowls, combining the ingredients in the flash of an eye, almost unconsciously, their muscle-memory doing the work.

Whatever the extra ingredient, koshary is an extraordinary dish. The word originates in the Hindi kishri, meaning “an unlikely mix.” It commands devotion, allegiance and loyalty: Cairo’s outlets compete fiercely, and regulars are just as fierce in their defense of their preferred venue.

Many are the devotees of Abou Tarek restaurant — today, the burqa is a source of fascination for us there as we watch a young woman struggling to eat her koshary through it while eating there — but there are those who will swear by Koshary El-Tahrir near Tahrir square. Also, often overlooked, in the Bab El Louk district, there is a place called Lux where I had my first encounter with this staple. They have a few other branches around town.

When you sit down with your bowl, there will be a couple of dressing bottles on your table. The contents of one will be hot. The other will be a pungent mix of garlic, vinegar and lemon. Both will be unexpectedly delicious.

My “top ten things to do in Cairo” list is constantly evolving, but predictable suggestions such as the National Museum and the pyramids lost their slots years ago to experiences like taking a taxi ride (anywhere, just try it) and eating koshary.

It’s all wrong I tell you.

Dinner

Egypt, land of pharaohs, pyramids and pizza.

Well, almost. The fiteer is Egypt’s version of the slightly better known Italian flatbread. Like its cousin, it is street food, served in any number of down-to-earth places throughout the city. Unlike pizza, it’s made from lighter, flaky pastry and is usually stuffed rather than topped, though I’ve seen it both ways.

We are in Fatatri near Tahrir Square, a long-standing fiteer place. It’s our first evening in the city this time round, and I’ve dropped K in at the deep end, the place a dusty and rather grimy version of what it once was as the ubiquitous street cats circle our ankles for crumbs.

We are the only customers, not quite outnumbered by the three bored looking staff members. They have a wall mounted television on at full volume, Koranic readings thundering through the tiny restaurant. Something tells me I won’t be having any wine with my dinner. I don’t even ask, settling for a Fanta.

I have to hand it to them though, the fiteer is tasty, topped with spiced lamb and white cheese. These pancakes are as popular sweet as they are savory, filled with powder sugar, honey, nuts or coconut among a myriad of other options.

Still, I could have done with a drink.

Nightlife

Later, with that in mind, we find ourselves in the Al Hurriya cafe in the Bab El Louk area again, just across from Lux. This place, you might say, has seen better days. It’s one of those huge, echoing spaces, old-fashioned fans wobbling from the high ceilings; the 19th-century acoustics produce a clattering din. If anyone has approached the cafe with a can of paint over the last 50 years, they have evidently been turned away.

Tonight, Al Hurriya is crowded. We look around for a spare table to no avail, and the waiter helps us out by planting two rickety chairs at the end of one already occupied. Two bottles of Egyptian beer are plonked between us. Nobody has asked us what we want — it’s a given. It isn’t everywhere in Cairo you’ll be served beer and that’s why people come here. If you turn to the left when you come through the door it’s coffee, tea, dominoes and chess. If you turn right, it’s beer.

You might say it has seen better days, but you’d be wrong. The place is still an institution in Cairo, a meeting place for those on the political left, expats and the less conservative elements of Egyptian society. Cairenes don’t seem to care about chipped paint. We find ourselves sharing a table with Hassan and Abdul. They are in “shipping” and that’s as much detail as I’ll be getting on that.

End of day one — we have eaten well on the unpretentious food this city offers, and by sticking to the places where locals eat we have had a good taste of Cairo’s street life as well, its daily rhythms and its people.

Abdul looks over a a lady wearing the hijab at a distant table, soft drinks in front of her and her male and female companions.

“You know, before, you never see this,” he said, gesturing toward the small group. “No women in this place, never. Now, everything is mixed. A shame, really a shame.”

K is sitting right there.

“You really don’t like it mixed like this?,” I ask him.

“No, I don’t like. It’s a shame,” he repeats. “You like it?”

K is sitting right there.

“Yes, I prefer it mixed,” I say.

“So do I!”, he declares emphatically, breaking into a belly laugh, a large grin appearing on his face. “Shall we order more drinks? The night is young!”

Felfela, 15 Shara Hoda Sharaawi, Downtown, Cairo , 02/392-2833

These days Felfela has more than one branch but this is the original and the takeaway version is just around the corner on Talaat Harb Street.

Abou Tarek, No.16 on the corner of Maarouf and Shambliuan (Champlion), downtown.

They even have a website (with lots of annoying graphics). Learn all about Koshary at www.aboutarek.com

Koshary El-Tahrir, 12 Youssef El Gendy Street, Bab El Louk, 02-27958418.

Fatatri is on El Tahreir Street, near Tahrir Square.

Lux and Al Hurriya can be found on Midan Bab El Louk (Bab El Louk Square), Lux on the south side on El Tahreir St, and Al Houria on the north side on Abd El Salaam Areaf St.

Robin Graham has written for In Madrid, The Expeditioner and the Matador Network. He regularly contributes to The Spain Scoop and blogs at the award-winning Alotofwind. Follow him on Twitter: @robinjgraham.

The post Is It Possible To Eat Your Way Through Cairo In One Day? appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

Not one for lounging poolside with a drink in your hand during your vacation (yeah, me either)? How about trying a multi-thousand kilometer bike ride across the world’s second largest continent? You can make it happen with groups like Tour d’Afrique. For a little inspiration, check out the sunset over the Valley of the Kings at 3:32.

The post The Ultimate Trip: Cairo To Cape Town . . . By Bike? appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

Discover what it’s like to cruise down the Nile on a Felucca, the traditional wooden sailing boat seen all over the longest river in the world. Not much different than how the Egyptians sailed this river for the past 5,000 years, these voyages allow you to take in the Philae Temple, Luxor, and Cairo at night, all while leisurely gliding down one of the world’s most scenice waterways. The only problem is that you’re stuck on a boat the entire time (never good).

As this article points out, be ready for the good and the bad. The good being the sights and the food (lunches consisting of salads and “accompanying dishes . . . delicious and rich in flavour: garlicky baba ganoush, grainy humus, dense wands of kefta, kebabs and the spiciest mini sausage that convinces you that you really should have just one more”), and the bad (you’re still on a cruise, expect bland entertainment, the occasinal breakdown, and forget about getting lost in the local culture). At least I’m pretty sure you’ll never see any shuffleboard on these boats.

The post What’s It Like To Cruise Down The Nile On A Felucca? appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.